Description
Pesto butter beans bring a fresh twist to your dinner table, blending creamy legumes with zesty herb sauce for a quick, satisfying meal that comes together in minutes.
Ingredients
Scale
Primary Ingredients:
- 2 cans butter beans (15 oz each or 425 g), drained with ½ cup liquid reserved
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes (350 g), half cut in half
Supporting Ingredients:
- ½ cup pesto (120 g)
- 4 oz cream cheese (113 g)
Flavor Enhancers:
- 2 tablespoons olive oil (30 mL)
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
Instructions
- Drizzle 2 tablespoons olive oil into a large skillet and warm over medium-low heat at 325°F for 1 minute.
- Drop minced garlic into the heated oil and sauté for exactly 1 minute until fragrant.
- Add 4 oz cream cheese, ½ cup pesto, and ½ cup reserved bean liquid to the skillet. Whisk until your sauce becomes completely smooth.
- Gently introduce 2 cans of drained butter beans into the creamy mixture, carefully folding to ensure every bean gets coated with sauce.
- Scatter 1 pint cherry tomatoes across the skillet, stirring half of them cut side down. Cook for 3-4 minutes at 350°F until tomatoes soften slightly.
- Remove skillet from heat immediately when tomatoes reach a tender consistency. Your sauce should look glossy and beans should be evenly heated.
- Transfer the pesto butter bean mixture to a serving dish, ensuring an even distribution of tomatoes and sauce across the top.
Notes
- Swap cream cheese with cashew cream for a dairy-free version that keeps the creamy texture.
- Drain beans thoroughly to prevent a watery sauce and ensure each bean gets perfectly coated.
- Fresh pesto makes a huge difference, so grab a good quality store-bought or homemade version for maximum flavor.
- Roasting cherry tomatoes before adding them can intensify their sweetness and add deeper complexity to the dish.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 6 minutes
- Category: Sautéed
- Method: Sautéing
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4
- Calories: 327 kcal
- Sugar: 4 g
- Sodium: 420 mg
- Fat: 22 g
- Saturated Fat: 5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 15 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 23 g
- Fiber: 7 g
- Protein: 11 g
- Cholesterol: 18 mg